Distributors

Microsoft has gone to a beta release with TypeScript 1.8, the latest upgrade to the company's typed superset of JavaScript, featuring improvements in compilation and the usage of third-party libraries.

TypeScript compiles to JavaScript. In version 1.8, available for the Visual Studio 2015 IDE, the compiler can consume JavaScript files alongside TypeScript files. In a blog post, Microsoft's Bowden Kelly said the conversion process from JavaScript to TypeScript at times could be "menacing" for large projects, possibly yielding a lot of compilation errors.

"However, by allowing JavaScript files into the TypeScript compiler, it is now possible to convert one file at a time while still compiling your entire project all together," Kelly said. "This allows developers to be in full control of where and how they want to carry out the conversion, making converting sizable projects much more manageable."

Microsoft is using the recently released ChakraCore compiler with TypeScript when possible. "We found ChakraCore achieved significantly reduced compilation times, outperforming the previous version of Chakra that we were using by 5-20 percent and Node by 10-50 percent," said Kelly.

Using third-party JavaScript libraries is easier in version 1.8; developers are able to simply include these libraries in compilation and they will follow emitted JavaScript. Previously, developers needed a third-party bundler such as webpack or browserify.

A TypeScript NuGet package is provided to improve ease of acquisition. The TypeScript compiler and MSBuild task will be distributed as a NuGet package. "In addition to these official releases, we will also be hosting the nightly build of TypeScript on MyGet," which is a hosted NuGet server on Azure, Kelly said. "These are not supported builds, but feel free to check them out and let us know what you think."

Control flow analysis in the upgrade helps catch common errors, Microsoft said in its GitHub page on TypeScript. In version 1.8 it is also now possible for a type parameter constraint to reference type parameters from the same type parameter list. This capability has been referred to as F-bounded polymorphism and previously was considered an error in TypeScript.

TypeScript 1.8 expands support for JSX, an embeddable XML-like syntax, by enabling custom JSX factories. "While React has paved the way, JSX syntax is not only tied to React. As such, a JSX factory should be able to be overridden from the default React factory. Using the new compiler flag --reactNamespace <factory_name> in combination with --jsx react, TSX authors can now control the emit of the factory name," Kelly said. Also, TypeScript picks up syntax highlighting for JSX from Visual Studio 2015. "With the TypeScript 1.8 update in Visual Studio, JSX tags will now get classified and colorized, improving the readability of the code."

Channel Deals

MSI Cubi Mini-PC

ARN Distributor Directory

ARN Vendor Directory

Slideshows

​Inside the new HP Customer Welcome Centre in Sydney…

HP unveiled its new Customer Welcome Centre (CWC) in Sydney this week, following on more than a year after the vendor opened the doors of its Experience Centre in Melbourne (MEC). The new space offers on-site HP technicians and visiting channel partners the ability to reconfigure equipment and put together tailored solutions based on the needs of individual end clients or target vertical markets. The centre can also be booked by customers and partners for meetings, events, workshops, seminars, and training. Photos by HP.

Zscaler Australia toasts the channel at Xmas drinks

Zscaler recently hosted its partner update and Christmas drinks event in Australia where more than 20 partners attended the event at the QT hotel in the Sydney. The event provided a forum for the company to update its Australian partners on the company's strategy for cloud security in the year ahead. It was also a great opportunity for the company to introduce Sean Kopelke as country manager for A/NZ. The event ended with Christmas drinks and a celebration of momentum gained in 2016.

IN PICTURES: ​Nutanix X Tours

Nutanix recently held two ‘X Tours’, which brought the company’s flagship event .NEXT to Brisbane and Melbourne. Customers and partners got a firsthand look at the new era of IT and exposure to the potential of the Nutanix Enterprise Cloud platform. Both events featured key speakers both from Nutanix and its partners.

iasset.com is a channel management ecosystem that automates all major aspects of the entire sales, marketing and service process, including data tracking, integrated learning, knowledge management and product lifecycle management.

Copyright 2016 IDG Communications. ABN 14 001 592 650. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of IDG Communications is prohibited.